THE SECRET SPIES IN THE SKY - Imagery, Data Analysis, and Discussions relating to Military Space

SatTrackCam Leiden (Cospar 4353) is a satellite tracking station located at Leiden, the Netherlands. The tracking focus is on classified objects - i.e. "spy satellites". With a camera, accurate positional measurements on satellites of interest are obtained in order to determine their orbits. Orbital behaviour is analysed.

Saturday, 12 April 2008

Weather and other occupations didn't allow me much observing the past two weeks. I did get a few positions last week, on the 8th and 11th. On the 8th it were Lacrosse 2 (91-017A) and three of the NOSS-2-3 components (96-029C, D & E). Yesterday (the 11th) it wereIGS1A and 1B (03-009A & B).

I also made a few photographs of Iridium flares with the new Ixus 75 camera. Two of them are shown below. So far, it seems my new camera has a timing lag of 0.9 seconds. Unlike the Ixus 400, the 10 second exposure setting really is 10 seconds.

The Ixus 75 images are much sharper than those of the Ixus 400. I have some suspicion though that they show less faint stars than the Ixus 400 images.

Below are two Iridium flare pictures (Iridium 43 on the 8th, and Iridium 98 on the 11th). Also given are their brightness profiles.

About the Author

Dutch, 47, PhD, stone age archaeologist, meteoriticist, satellite tracker, meteor observer, asteroid discoverer. Consultant in a Space Situational Awareness project with the Space Security Center of the Royal Dutch Air Force and Leiden Observatory. As an invited expert I advised members of Dutch Parliament about military satellite systems and their locations during a 2016 foreign affairs committee hearing about the MH17 disaster.
Asteroid (183294) Langbroek was named after me. In 2012, I received the Dr. J. van der Bilt Prize of the Royal Dutch Astronomy Association (KNVWS) for my work on meteors, asteroids and satellites.
Opinions expressed on this blog are entirely my own.
You can find me on Twitter via @Marco_Langbroek

Use of images

Use of photographs and video from this blog for scientific or educational purposes, or by news agencies in news items is allowed, provided that the source is acknowledged. Images are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC license, except for those released on Wikicommons under the license stated there, and with the addition that news media may freely use them with source acknowledgement. Note that this only concerns my own imagery posted here, not imagery by others which I post with permission!

Excerpt from United Nations resolution 2222 (XXI)

Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies

In order to promote international co-operation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, States Parties to the Treaty conducting activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, agree to inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and results of such activities. On receiving the said information, the Secretary-General of the United Nations should be prepared to disseminate it immediately and effectively.